POSEIDON’s Consortium Meeting at CERN: Key Insights and Future Collaborations

The POSEIDON team from Centro Tecnológico Naval y del Mar (CTN) has returned home after an insightful and productive Consortium Meeting at CERN. This gathering brought together key project partners to advance the development of cutting-edge Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for maritime applications, refine planning strategies, and strengthen collaborations for the project’s next phases.

The meeting featured two key workshops addressing different aspects of the project:

💡 Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) for Marine Applications
Hosted at CERN, this session focused on the progress of Work Package 2 (WP2), dedicated to developing an innovative ESS using superconducting magnets. With CERN’s expertise in superconducting materials, the discussions explored integration challenges, system performance, and next steps toward real-world implementation.

🛥️ Container Integration & Logistics
Another crucial workshop revolved around the design and implementation of the containerized ESS, covering essential elements such as tasks, scope, challenges, and responsibilities up until 2026. One of the main discussion points was the coordination of device shipment to CIEMAT for integration into the container. Additionally, Baleària’s involvement in integrating the system aboard the Cap de Barbaria and preparing for future sea trials was a key topic.

For Alejandro Luna García-Valenzuela, POSEIDON’s Project Manager, the Consortium Meeting was not just a technical milestone but also a catalyst for long-term collaboration. The discussions opened the door to potential joint projects and knowledge exchange that will continue beyond the scope of POSEIDON. These new synergies will be explored throughout the year, reinforcing the project’s impact on the maritime sector.

Beyond the technical sessions, the team had the unique opportunity to visit CERN’s High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), a major upgrade to the existing LHC aimed at increasing luminosity and enabling groundbreaking discoveries in particle physics. This ambitious project, in collaboration with institutions like CIEMAT, is expected to be completed by 2030.

During the visit, the POSEIDON team engaged in discussions with Amalia Ballarino, leader of the superconducting materials, cables, and devices section at CERN. She expressed enthusiasm for applying CERN’s advanced developments to the naval and maritime industries, underscoring the cross-sector potential of superconducting technologies.

The POSEIDON team, including Pilar Meroño Montesinos, Fernando de Miquel Moral, and Alejandro Luna García-Valenzuela, returns home with fresh perspectives and valuable insights from CERN. As the project moves forward, the takeaways from this Consortium Meeting will play a key role in shaping the next steps, from technology development to real-world testing and deployment.